New TCL Mini-Led televisions: Google TV, 144 Hz, Mini-Led and a peak brightness of 2000 cd/m²

TCL’s flagship model in 2022 will be the C935 television available in 65 and 75 inch versions, i.e. 165 and 190 cm respectively. This Ultra HD television features the manufacturer’s most advanced Mini-Led backlighting system with an announced thickness of only 5 mm. The TCL 75C935 thus has tens of thousands of Mini-LEDs managed in 1920 distinct zones. The TCL 65C935 – 65 inches – is content with 1080 zones. TCL has worked on the shape of the light emitted by the Mini-Leds to further reduce blooming. Already equipped with a Mini-Led system, last year’s TCL 65C825 was already almost devoid of blooming. It is therefore assumed that the C935 should do even better this year. The management of the Mini-LEDs is now done on 16 bits, i.e. 6536 different power levels, in order to allow better precision of the backlighting. TCL announces a peak brightness of up to 2000 cd/m². Again, this is much better than last year’s TCL 65C825 which was content with a peak of 932 cd/m².

The TCL C93 has four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K/120 Hz, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). Nothing really new, but it’s always better if all four inputs are HDMI 2.1 compatible. TCL also announces support for a native frequency of 144 Hz for this C93 as well as the C83 and C73. Support for 144 Hz is only of interest for PC gaming since this frequency is not yet supported by game consoles. The HDMI 2.1 ports therefore support a 144 Hz VRR signal in Ultra HD from a PC equipped with a latest generation graphics card (HDMI 2.1).

This TCL 65/75C935 television also stands out from the competition with the integration of a Dolby Atmos 2.1.2 audio system consisting of two front speakers, a rear subwoofer and two speakers placed behind the panel and oriented towards the ceiling to produce a spatial effect necessary for the correct reproduction of Dolby Atmos effects. This system is already present on some Panasonic (TX-65JZ2000) and high-end Samsung televisions. This TV is also equipped with an anti-reflective filter announced as efficient, without further details.

For the rest, we find the Google TV system with the aggregation of content, two remote controls, one of which is equipped with a microphone, a microphone integrated into the television for hands-free control without having to touch the remote control, a new Game menu Master for features related to video games, support for webcams, support for all HDR formats (HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision) and more interesting, a central stand adjustable by more or less 3 cm in height in order to be able to place a sound bar under the slab.

The TCL 65C935 will be released in April for a price of around €1900 while the 75-inch model – the TCL 75C935 – will be priced around €2800, making them competitive with the latest LG 65C2 and 77C2 televisions sold. 2700 and 3800 € respectively. On the other hand, as often, the models of last year are always more attractive: the LG 65C1 is displayed at 1600 € while the latest copies of the LG 77C1 are less than 2600 €.

TCL C83: a little less Mini-Led

The TCL C83 has a more classic Mini-Led backlight system with a thickness of 15 mm. TCL does not communicate the exact number of zones on this model, but it should not exceed several hundred zones (compared to a thousand for the C93). The audio system is also more classic with two speakers placed under the slab and oriented towards the TV cabinet associated with a subwoofer at the rear. We should lose a little precision compared to the front speakers of the C935 and of course, the C85 loses the speakers dedicated to Dolby Atmos. The peak brightness of this model should be close to that found on the C825 last year, around 1000 cd/m².

For the rest, the TCL C83 will be identical to the C93. The four HDMI 2.1 4K120, VRR, ALLM ports are identical, 144 Hz compatibility is included, Google TV is present, as are the two remote controls, one of which has a microphone, the microphone integrated into the television for hands-free control, the Game Master menu and the central foot with two height positions (±3 cm).

The C83 television is available in 55, 65 and 75 inch versions under the references 55C835, 65C835 and 75C835 at the respective prices of 1300, 1500 and 2300 €.

The TCL C73 television retains the same Ultra HD 144 Hz panel, the same electronics and the same functionalities as the C83, but is content with a classic Direct-Led backlighting system consisting of several LEDs behind the screen which are always on ( there is no zone management as on a Full Led system). This model should replace the TCL 55C728 from 2021, a model that we tested and which is very interesting for gamers on a tight budget.

The TCL C73 will be available from 43 to 75 inches for a price ranging from 500 to 1400 €. The TCL 55C735, for example, will be sold for around €800 and should quickly see its price drop, which will probably make it a good quality/performance/price ratio.

The TCL C63, which takes over from the TCL C725 that we tested, is satisfied with a much more classic 50/60 Hz panel in addition to the Direct Led backlighting system. This is a fairly basic Ultra HD television and its only argument remains the built-in microphone, which is still so rare at this price level.

The TCL C63 will be available in 43, 50, 55 and 65 inches at respective prices of 500, 600, 650 and 900 €.